Wirebound-box machine



June 5, 1923. 1,457,529

H. J. KOCH WIREBOUND BOX MACHINE Filed Nov. 1-1, 1918 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 5, 1923.

H. J. KOCH WIREBOUND BOX MACHINE 1918 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 11

June 5, 1923.

H. J. KOCH WIREBOUND BOX MACHINE Filed Nov. 11

1918 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 H. J. KOCH WIREBOUND Box MACHINE June 5, 1923.

Filed Nov. 11, 1918 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 E E g HENRY J. KOCH, OECHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WIBEBOUNDS PATENTS COMPANY, OF KITTERY, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

WIREBOUND-BOX MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. Koon, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Wirebound-Box Machines, of which the following is a specification.

M invention relates to box making and articularly to machines for use in makmg wirebound boxes or box blanks.

Among other objects, the invention is intended to provide improved mechanism for positioning the staples or fasteners by which the binding wires areattached to and the box materials secured together.

The invention will be described by reference to an illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying-drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one end of an approved t pe of wirebound box blank machine embo ying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, illustrating a finished box bla'nk being delivered from the machine and assembled box sections for a succeeding blank about to be operated upon.

Fig. 3 is a detail view, in cross-section, of one of the work-conveying chains and its supporting guide.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of the feed and staple positioning mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4 with parts in horizontal section.

Fig. 6 is vertical section on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of the member 10 shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged side elevation of a detail of the mechanism for feeding the pin carrying carriage 51.

A box blank machine consists in general of a, gang of binding wire applying and stapling mechanisms for wiring together box sections on a work support, the two being relatively movable for stapling the wires at intervals depending upon the progression of the work between successive operations of the staplers.

In the illustrative machine, the staplers and associated, mechanisms, one complete unit of which is shown in Fig. 2, are relatively stationary in the side frames 1, and the work is supported and advanced by a conveyer 3, comprising link side chains appropriately formed to receive the cleats of the box sections, said chains running in guides 5 on supporting rails 6 and trained around the driven sprocket wheels 7. I

\Qleats and superposed sheets of side material composing the box sections are asscmbled onthe conveyer chains in proper relation to provide a box blank or blanks, the sectionsv of each blank being held in. proper position on the chains by spacer blocks 4 attached at intervals on the side bars of individual chain links as shown in Fig. 3. As the work progresses beneath the staplers, a. plurality of continuous binding wires, drawn from suitable supply reels, not shown, are introduced in proper relation to the box sections to be stapled thereto, the wires bein led between the rollers 9, and thence un er the rollers 10 at the feet of the stapler bodies, and bein pulled along with the work by virtue 0% their attachment thereto at preceding points. Certain of the wires alined with the box cleats are stapled through the sheets thereto, so as to connect such wires to both the sheets and cleatsand secure the latter together; and intermediate wires may be stapled to the sheets alone, in which event the staples are clinched on the under side of the sheets by coaction of the staple drivers with a-nvils 12 supported on the cross frame member 11.

The illustrated staplers 13, are of the type disclosed in the patent to Thompson No. 1,258,625, dated March 5, 1918, comprising stafple formers and drivers adapted to every operation to cut and form staples from staple stock wire, fed thereto by rollers 14, and to drive the same over the binding wires into the work- Said taplers are mounted on the stationary cross-head 15 and actuated by the vertically reciprocating 95 cross-head 16, working in guides 17 of the side frames 1, and operated by a pit-man 18 from an eccentric 20 on the main shaft 2, there being similar operating connections at either side of the machine. The feed 1 rollers 14 for the staple stock wires are also operated from the main shaft by eccentric 25 and connecting rod 26 workin a pawl and ratchet device 27 for rotating the rollers intermittently.

It will be understood that a staple is formed and driven at every reciprocation of the crosshead 16, the staple bein driven on the downward stroke thereof, w ile the material is momentarily at rest, the extent 110 of movement of the material between the successive operations of the staplers determining the spacing between successive staples.

Step-by-step movement is imparted to the conveyor by a regulable feed mechanism, the movements being automatically controlled for positioning staples in desired relation on the work. As illustrated, the feed mechanism comprises the pawl-driven ratchet wheel 30, secured to one of the rocket wheels 7 or on the sprocket shaft 8, and the oscillatin driving arm or lever 31 carrying a fee pawl or pawls 32 ivoted thereto on the in 33 and preferab y spring-held toward t e ratchet teeth. The ratchetdriving arm 31 is loosely mounted on the sprocket shaft and worked to and fro by the connecting rod 34 from eccentric 35 on the main shaft. On the working stroke, the feed pawl engages and rotates the ratchet wheel, advancing the conveyer a corresponding amount.

For controlling the feed, the pawl 32 has rigidly attached thereto an arm 36 carrying a roller 37 to coact with the segmental surface 38 and rounded notch 39 of a lever or member 40 which is loosely mounted on the sprocket shaft and moved diflerentially or for a portion of the stroke with the ratchet-driving arm or lever 31, as variably determined by a series of controlling members 5O herein exemplified as variable length pins functioning as stops for successive pre sentation in the path of a projection 43 of a rod 42 connected by link 41 with member 40 and slidable back and forth therewith in bearings 44 of a support 45. Said member 40, typifying a variably presentable cam for the roller 37, determines the period or duration of engagement of the feed pawl with the ratchet wheel, the pawl being raised from the ratchet teeth when the roller 36 runs on the curved surface 38.

The mechanism as illustrated enables regulation of the cessation of relative feed movement of the work. At the commencement and during the workin stroke of the lever 31, i. e., to the left in igs. 1 and 4, said lever is interlocked with the member 40 by engagement of the roller 37 in the notch 39, the feed pawl 32 meanwhile operatively enga 'ng the ratchet wheel, and so the lever an member 40 move in unison until said member 40 is stopped in its lefthand movement by the projection 43 of rod 42 encountering one of the stops 50, whereupon as the lever 31 completes its working stroke the roller 37 rides up from the notch 39 onto the segmental surface 38, throwing out the feed pawl from the ratchet and hence discontinuing the feed. On the return or inoperative throw of the ratchetdriving arm or lever 31, while the feed pawl trails backward over the ratchet teeth,

the roller 37 re-engages the notch 39 and returns the member 40 with the lever. A light spring 46 may be suitably applied to urge the member 40 toward the left so as to steady it when the roller 37 leaves the notch 39.

It is noted that the ratchet-driving arm has a constant stroke, while its operative effect is regulated or varied by direct control of the feed pawl. In other words there is provision for lost mot-ion between the driving and driven parts of the ratchet feed device, rather than between said device and its prime actuator. Among other advantages this construction permits driving by direct positive connections from the main shaft, and the employment of an eccentric or its equivalent as the prime actuator.

The controlling members or pins 50 are arranged on a slidable carrier or slide 51 having a series of bores in which the pins are fitted and secured by set-screws 52. They are adjusted to project from the surface 53 of the carrier to correspond to a desired relation of staples or at distances Varying proportionally to the distances which the staples of a given unit of work, i. e., a box blank, are to be spaced apart. The carrier 51' is adapted to slide in the vertical ways 54 of the support 45, for successively presenting the pins as controls or sto s to be encountered by the projection 43 o the reciprocating rod 42, this movement being automatically accomplished as follows:

Rigidly attached to the rod 42 is an arm 60 bored to fit and slide on a parallel rod 61, the latter also slidably fitted in bearings in the lugs 44. In its movement with the inoperative throw of the ratchet-driving arm 31, i. e., toward the right in Fig. 4, the arm 60 encounters a collar 62 on rod 61 and shifts the latter, causing it to operate a bellorank-lever 63 which is pivoted on the support 45 and suitably connected by the pinand-slot connection 64 with a plate 65 slidable up and down in short ways 66. This movement, from the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 to that shown in full lines, lifts the plate 65', on which is hung from a pivot pin 67 a feed dog 68 engaging a vertical ratchet bar 70 on the pin-carrying slide 51. The latter is thereby raised by said dog 68 the distance from one pin 50 to the next, and the pin-carrier is held in this position, during the return movement of the feed dog 68 with the operative throw of the ratchet-driving arm 31, by means of a second dog 72 hung from a pivot pin 71 on support 45 and likewise engaging said ratchet bar 70. The carrier 51 with its pins 50 is thus raised in a step-by-step movement so as to present said pins successively as controls for the working stroke of the drivin -arm 31 of the feed ratchet.

Tlpon presenting the last or lowermost pin 50, the pin carrier is in position to con- .out or releases both the feed dog 68 and holding dog 72, b engagement of the camfaced lugs 83 an 84 on said releasing bar against pins 85 and 86 on said dogs. The carrier with its pins 50 therefore drops to its initial position, to present the first or uppermost pin, and in this movement, occurring during inoperative throw of the pawldriving arm 31, the lower end of the carrier engages a lower In 87 on the releasing bar 80 and restores t e latter to its nor mal position. The downward movement of the releasing bar removes the lugs 83 and 84 from contact with the pins 85 and 86 on the feed and holding dogs, and said dogs therefore become operative again to move the pin-containing slide in an upward step-bystep movement.

The mechanism described has the practical advantages, first, of requiring a set up of the pattern or series of controlling members for but one blank, which will serve for positioning the staples of a number of simiar blanks successively produced in a continuous run of the machine; and, second, enabling the same to be set up readily by simple calculations. In this respect, as also in the principle thereby introduced of positioning staples by controlling the cessations rather than initiations of the feed steps, the invention advances toward the desired accomplishment of positioning staples without the requirement of special skill on the part of the operative.

The operative may plot in any suitable way the'desired staple positions for ablank, for instance, he may conveniently lay off roughly or by eye on a sample blank, or the first blank assembled on the machine, the desired stapling points, and measure their distances apart, including the distance between the last .and first staples of successive blanks. He may then adjust the set of pins 50 in a corresponding relationship or at proportional distances from the edge 53 of the pin carrier, with the effect of proportionally subtracting from the otherwise normal or possible maximum feed steps, and accordingly bringing the work successively to rest at positions corresponding to the plotted positions of the staples. To facilitate .the .adjustment of the pins, graduations may be provided either on the pins themselves or on one of the cover plates 55 of the carrier slideways, the gradnations being for instance in the same ratio to standard units of lineal measurement as the ratio of the maximum feed stroke to the step movement of the conveyer imparted thereby. The straight edgeof the side 53 of the pin-carrier provides a definite index with respect to which the adjustments may be made.

Either the'first or last pin 50 may serve for positioning the first staple of a blank, though it is perhaps preferable to control the staple from the first pin, which consequently is shown in Fig. 4 as a very short pin to determine a correspondingly long feed" step in moving the work from the last staple of the preceding blank. Should successive blanks be spaced at a greater interval than the maximum step movement of the conveyer, there may be an additional pm or pins to determine an intervening feed step or feed steps, during which the stapler operation should be skipped or rendered idle by any appropriate throw-out means, or means for stopping the staple stock wire feed, as well known in the art. The first blank manufactured on the machine should be located with reference to the stapling mechanism so that the first feed step will bring'the work to locate the first staple at the proper point; which may be done by preliminarily advancing the conveyer chains with the assembled work to the proper position. Thereafter the succeeding staples of such blank, and of successive blanks, which may be manufactured without interruption of operation, will be properly positioned by the successive step movements corresponding to the lengths of the pins.

As represented in Fig. 2, the machine is operating upon blanks of four sections of alternate widths, there being fourteen staples per blank, three on the narrow and four on the wide sections, and the pattern mechanism accordingly comprises fourteen pins disposed according to the previously plotted spacing or positioning of the staples as before explained. Should the number of staples be such as to require more or less pins, there should be a corresponding adjustment of the releasing bar and its period of operation. This may be effected by making the bar extensible and providing for adjustably locating the holding pins for the slotted ends of the bar, such matters being of ordinary mechanical details and unnecessary to be shown;

As the work leaves the stapling mechanism, the finished blanks may be stripped from the conveyer chains onto the inclined table or bars 90, and the Wires connecting the blanks may be severed by any approved knife arrangement properly timed. Other desirable instrumentalities of this art, such as a conveyer brake applied to the ratchet wheel, and manually-operable means for independently adjusting or shifting the conveyer, may be embodied in the machine, though unnecessary to be illustrated as they are not essential to the present invention.

- wirebound box or blank construction. Furthermore, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly since they may be used to advan tage in various different combinations and subcombinations.

I claim- 1. A machine for use in making wirebound boxes comprising, in combination, fastenersetting mechanism for applying binding wire to box parts; means for causing regular step movements between said mechanism and the box parts; and means for automatically variably terminating a succession of said movements whereby the extents of a succession of said step movements may be variably lessened.

2. A machine for use in making wirebound boxes comprising, in combination, fastenersetting mechanism for applying binding wire to box parts; means for causing regular relative step movements between said mechanism and the box parts; and means controlling the cessation of said movements to variably lessen the extent of the same.

3. A machine for use in making wirebound boxes comprising, in combination, means ineluding fastener-setting mechanism for applying binding wire to box parts, means to cause relative progression between said mechanism and the work, and automatic fastener-positioning means independent of said means for causing relative progression comprising a series of members, arranged transversely of the plane of relative movement of the work, successively presented to control such progression.

4. A machine for use in making wirebound boxes comprising, in combination, means including fastener-setting mechanism for applying binding wire to box parts; means to cause relative step-by-step progression between said mechanism and the work; and automatic fastener-positioning means com- .prising a series of members acting to variably terminate a succession of step movements whereby the extentsof a Succession of said step movements are variably lessened.

5. A machine for use in making Wirebound boxes, comprising, in combination, a work support; fastener-setting mechanism for applying binding wire to box parts; means to cause relative progression between said mechanism and the box parts; and fastenerpositioning means independent of said means for causing relative progression controlling such progression, comprisinga series of controlling members of different lengths adjusted from a definite index.

6. A machine for use in making wirebound boxes comprising, in combination wire-supplying means, mechanism for progressively fastening the wire to box parts, and automatic fastener-positioning means, controL' ling such progression, comprising a series of controlling members of various lengths adapted to control such progression inversely in accordance with their lengths.

7. A machlne for-use 1n making wlrebound boxes comprising, 111' combination, means 1ncluding fastener-setting mechanism for applying binding wire to box parts, driven moving means to advance the work relative to said mechanism, means to drive the moving means regular distances intermittently, and automatic fastener-positioning means,

controlling cessations of such intermittent advancements, comprising a series of con trolling members, and means independent of said moving means for successively presenting said members in efi'ective position, said machine being organized for uninterrupted S5 ing said members in efi'ective position andautomatically re-presenting them for positioning fasteners on successive units of work without interruption of operation.

9. A machine for use in making wirebound boxes comprising, in combination, fastenersetting mechanism for applying binding wire to box parts, driven moving means to advance the work relative to said mechanism, and automatic fastener-positioning means separate from the work advancing means, controlling such advancement, comprising a series of controlling members, a movable carfier therefor, means moving said carrier ste by-step for successive presentation of said members, and automatic means for return ing said carrier to initial position.

10. A machine for use in makin wirebound boxes comprising, in combination, means including fastener-setting mechanism for applying binding wire to box pan means to cause relative progression between said mechanism and the Work, and automatic fastener-positioning means comprising a series of successivel presented controlling members and fee -reg'ulating means controlled thereby to discontinue such progression.

11. A machine for, use in making wirebound boxes comprising, in combination, means including fastener-setting mechanism:

for applying binding wire to-box parts, means including a ratchet feed device to cause relative progression between said mechanism and the work, and automatic staple-positioning means regulatin the coaction of the ratchet members by reaking their engagement at selected times; said machine being adapted to operate without interruption on materials for a plurality oi boxes.

12. A machine for use in making wirebound boxes comprising, in combination,

means includin fastener-setting mechanism for applying inding wire to box parts, means including a ratchet feed device to cause relative progression between said mechanism and the work, a series of successively presented controlling members, and means controlled thereby to vary the coactive engagement of the ratchet members by breaking their engagement at selected times; said machine being adapted to operate without interruption on materials for a plurality of boxes.

13. A machine for use in making wirebound boxes comprising in combination, means including fastener-setting mechanism for applyin binding wire to box parts, means inclu ing a ratchet and pawl to cause relative progression between said mechanism and the work; a series of successively presented controlling members, and a cam controlled thereby for variably determining the working engagement between said pawl and ratchet.

14. A machine for use in makin wirebound' boxes comprising in combination, means for applying binding wire to box parts; work-forwarding means; a positively acting actuator therefor adapted to uniformly initiate step movements at regular intervals; and controlling means for said. actuator adapted to variably terminate said movements, said machine being adapted to operate without interruption on materials for a plurality of boxes.

15. A machine for use in making wirebound boxes comprising, in combination, mechanism for fastening binding wire to box parts; means to cause relative progression between said mechanism and the box parts; and automatic means determining the extent of such relative progression including an independent pattern of members of different lengths, and mechanism controlled therebly determining relative ositions of said fastenimg mechanism and the box parts during fastener-setting operations.

16. A machine for use in makin wirebound' boxes comprising, in combination, means including fastener-setting mechanism for applying binding wires to box parts, positively-acting means to cause relative movements between said mechanism and the work, and automatic fastener-positioning means regulating the cessations of such movements.

17. In a machine for use in making wireboxes, the combination of work-forwarding means; a constantly reciprocating actuator for advancing the work-forwarding means lntermittently; and controlling means therefor adapted to automatically break the connection between the work-forwarding means and the actuator at variably selected times during drive strokes.

18. A machine for use in making wirebound boxes comprising, in combination, means lncluding fastener-setting mechanism for applying binding wires to box parts, and positively-acting means initiating relatlve movements between said mechanism and the work at regular periods and irregularly terminating such movements, said machine being adapted to operate without interrupt1on upon materials for a plurality of boxes.

19 In a machine of the class described, a feeding mechanism comprising a reciprocable driver adapted to engage and advance the driven parts upon movement in one directlong means to disengage said driver durlng a drive stroke to terminate afeed step; and a series of successively presented members of difierent lengths controlling said disengaging means and determining by their lengths the point of disengagement.

20. A machine for use in making wirebound boxes comprising, in combination, blnding wire applying and fastening mechamsm, means to cause relative step-by-step progression between said mechanism and the work, and means reciprocable vertically to control such regression.

21. A mac ine for use in making wirebound boxes comprising, in combination, means including fastener-setting mechanism for applying binding wires to box parts, means to cause regular relative step-by-step movements between said mechanism and the work, and means automatically regulating the cessations of such movements for variably spacing fasteners.

22. A machine for use in making boxes comprising, in combination, fastener setting mechanism, a work support, means having a uniform starting point of action to cause relative step-by-step progression between said mechanism and the work, and means for varying the stopping point of action, said machine being adapted to operate without interruption on materials for a plurality of boxes.

23. A machinefor use in making boxes comprising, in combination, fastener setting mechanism, a work support, and a step-feed mechanism, regulable to impart determined relative movements between said mechanism and the work, comprising driving and driven elements, the former having a constant stroke, the latter controllably engaged thereby, and automatic controlling means there for, said machine being organized for uninterrupted operation upon materials for a plurality of boxes.

24. A machine for use in making boxes comprising, in combination, fastener-setting mechanism, a work support, and regulable step-feed mechanism comprising a constant stroke driver, driven means operated thereby at the commencement of the stroke and adapted to be variably disconnected during a drive stroke, and controlling means therefor.

25. In a machine of the class described, a, feedin mechanism comprising a reciprocable driver arranged to lmpart motion on movement in one direction; a fixed throw actuator therefor; means to render said driver inoperative at times during a drive stroke; and controlling means therefor comprising a plurality of successively-presented members of difierent lengths etermining by their lengths the phases of inoperativeness of saiddriver.

26. A machine for use in making boxes comprising, in combination, fastener-settin mechanism, a work support, and step-feed mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel, a

prising a ratchet and a pawl-carrying lever,

aving provision for lost motion therebetween, and a pattern means for determining the variable extent of lost motion, said machine being adapted to operate without interruption on materials for a plurality of boxes. 7

28. In a machine of the class described, a feeding mechanism comprising a reciprocable driver arranged to impart motion on movement in one direction, a fixed throw actuator; and a series of members of variable'lengths successively operating to render the driver inoperative during different phases of its motion-imparting stroke.

In testimony whereo I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY J. KOCH. 

